Football transfer rumours: Carlos Tevez to Liverpool on loan?
Today's tell-all was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermPublish Postost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky – seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.
Now Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is being linked with a loan move to Liverpool. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
Having strenuously denied offering Manchester City Andy Carroll in exchange for Carlos Tevez, Liverpool officials may convene later today to decide whether or not to strenuously deny a report in this morning's Mirror that says they may offer to take the Argentinian striker to Anfield on loan instead. With transfer deadline day looming so close on the horizon that Sky Sports News presenters Jim White and Natalie Sawyer are currently hyperventilating into brown paper bags while their seconds massage their shoulders, time is running out for City to make their scampering, snarling diva somebody else's problem, but will be heartened by speculation in the Telegraph that West Ham are also planning an audacious but ultimately futile bid for Tevez's services.
Bright young Swedish goalkeeping prospect Kristoffer Nordfeldtand his Mr 15% are also on their way to the Anfield boardroom today, with Liverpool ready to sign the 22-year-old from IF Brommapojkarna, a club the Rumour Mill has never heard of before and which doesn't sound like it lends itself to many catchy terrace ditties. On the other side of Stanley Park, David Moyes has done his warm-ups, peeled off his blue tracksuit and hunkered down on his starting blocks after "entering the race" to sign Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic. West Ham have bid £7m for the Croatia international, but cash-strapped Rangers are holding out for £8m.
Lille winger and Rumour Mill staple Eden Hazard has told French TV station Canal Plus that he's staying put for the rest of the season, but will be heading to play in the Premier League next summer. With Manchesters United and City, Arsenal and Chelsea all interested in signing him up, the Belgian international will hopefully surprise us all by inking a deal with Sunderland instead. Meanwhile in Spain, radio station Cadena Ser have reported that Manchester United are hopeful of takingBenfica's Spanish midfielder Javier García to Old Trafford before the transfer window slams shut tomorrow.
Samba Diakité's days as a Nancy boy look numbered, after the Ligue 1 club gave him permission to complete a loan move to Queens Park Rangers, with a view to staying on at Loftus Road if the club avoids relegation. A Mali defensive midfielder currently representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, Diakité was excused from the tournament for long enough to jet in to London and finalise the deal. QPR boss Mark Hughes will now focus his efforts on bringing Spurs centre-half Sébastien Bassong and Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega to west London. Hughes is also reported to be inquiring about the possibility of bringing Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Michael Ballack back to the Premier League.
Flicking through the pages of Valencia daily Superdeporte over its morning coffee, the Rumour Mill couldn't help but notice the names ofWest Ham and Birmingham City battering rams John Carew and Nikola Zigic being linked with local La Liga side Levante, whose fans are in for a treat.
Sochaux attacking midfielder Marvin Martin has said he's open to all offers, but hinted that he'd be particularly open to an offer from the incredibly rich owners of Paris Saint-Germain. "I'm open to all offers; I lived in Paris when I was little, I was a supporter of PSG," he hinted with sledgehammer subtlety. Whether or not PSG's feelings for Martin are mutual remain unknown, but the Parisian club are ready to go toe-to-toe with Tottenham Hotspur in the battle to sign Brazil and Internacional striker Leandro Damião to Europe.
Having spent the past few weeks saying he wouldn't be bringing any new defenders to the Emirates, Arsène Wenger has become so exasperated by his side's shoddy defending that he's going to splurge £2m on 25-year-old Watford utility stopper Adrian Mariappa, who can play at centre-half or right-back.
The future of Bolton legend Kevin Davies will be decided today or tomorrow, with the striker being hotly tipped for a move to Sunderland, despite his manager Owen Coyle's insistence that he remains part of his plans at the Reebok Stadium. Coyle is also preparing a £5m bid forWilfried Zaha, one of several young Crystal Palace tyros to have caught the eye this season.
And Celtic manager Neil Lennon has revealed that Trabzonspor striker Pawel Brozek is heading to the club on loan for the rest of the season. "He's a goalscorer and he'll hopefully give the squad a bit of a jag," Lennon told BBC Radio Scotland, conjuring up images of the Polish international pitching up at Celtic Park and presenting his new team-mates with the passenger door or front bumper of an XK Portfolio coupe.
